Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nosara and Pasto

For one person, living is cheaper in Pasto: $799 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $12,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index
39

Cost of Living Index in Pasto
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Pasto Living Index

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Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Pasto

🇨🇴 Colombia

$799

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nosara and in Pasto

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Nosara and in Pasto actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,839 per month in Nosara vs $799 in Pasto, rent included.

Nosara $1,839
Pasto $799

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Nosara vs $1,210 in Pasto, rent included.

Nosara $2,828
Pasto $1,210

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Nosara vs $1,622 in Pasto, rent included.

Nosara $3,818
Pasto $1,622

Nosara costs about 130% more than Pasto, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nosara sits 36% above the global median, while Pasto is 41% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.35 ₡5,539

$3.98 COP 12.6K

210.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₡27.4K

$23.79 COP 75.4K

157.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 ₡3,373

$7.46 COP 23.7K

0.80%

Cappuccino

$4.41 ₡1,978

$1.56 COP 4,934

182.69%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 ₡780

$0.86 COP 2,724

102.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₡587

$0.61 COP 1,943

114.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 ₡1,471

$1.16 COP 3,666

182.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,004

$2.20 COP 6,968

103.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.09 COP 3,464

43.12%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,355

$1.29 COP 4,088

134.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$1.18 COP 3,744

112.71%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,603

$2.14 COP 6,771

66.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 ₡3,333

$4.61 COP 14.6K

61.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,717

$5.26 COP 16.7K

100.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 ₡6,265

$7.29 COP 23.1K

91.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 ₡1,052

$2.44 COP 7,748

-3.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₡720

$1.04 COP 3,302

54.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,152

$1.30 COP 4,108

269.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 ₡724

$1.07 COP 3,379

50.47%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$1.15 COP 3,648

230.43%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,657

$1.13 COP 3,586

226.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡507

$0.80 COP 2,537

41.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,191

$0.64 COP 2,041

315.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 ₡2,321

$2.37 COP 7,509

118.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ₡8,916

$9.81 COP 31.1K

102.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,300

$1.09 COP 3,443

166.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ₡1,626

$1.77 COP 5,599

105.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₡504

$0.72 COP 2,271

55.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 ₡32.6K

$30.39 COP 96.4K

139.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₡958

$1.43 COP 4,532

49.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$1.79 COP 5,688

-12.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 ₡3,823

$5.98 COP 18.9K

42.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$0.93 COP 2,958

63.44%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$18.1K COP 57.2M

19.69%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$25.7K COP 81.6M

34.07%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$96.3 ₡43.2K

$83.4 COP 264.4K

15.47%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$35.89 ₡16.1K

$8.89 COP 28.2K

303.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ₡24.0K

$22.38 COP 71.0K

139.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.6 ₡32.1K

$23.02 COP 73.0K

210.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.91 ₡15.7K

Cinema Ticket

$7.89 ₡3,539

$3.89 COP 12.3K

102.83%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$494 ₡221.6K

$235 COP 744.6K

110.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₡5.3M

$6,071 COP 19.2M

95.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ₡24.2K

$58.6 COP 185.6K

-7.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 ₡24.8K

$32.60 COP 103.4K

69.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ₡34.9K

$82.4 COP 261.4K

-5.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 ₡35.7K

$71.8 COP 227.6K

10.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 ₡353.4K

$269 COP 851.9K

193.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 ₡356.2K

$237 COP 751.4K

235.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,939 ₡1.8M

$530 COP 1.7M

643.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 ₡636.5K

$415 COP 1.3M

242.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,912 ₡3.1M

$1,429 COP 4.5M

383.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,224 ₡549.0K

$1,069 COP 3.4M

14.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$864 ₡387.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

13.06

-34.00%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Pasto: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Nosara

$794 43.2%

Pasto

$237 29.7% 70.2% $557

Groceries & Markets

Nosara

$352 19.2%

Pasto

$173 21.7% 50.8% $179

Eating Out

Nosara

$212 11.5%

Pasto

$89 11.1% 58% $123

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nosara

$186 10.1%

Pasto

$115 14.4% 38.3% $71

Clothing & Footwear

Nosara

$120 6.5%

Pasto

$110 13.8% 8.1% $9.7

Sport & Entertainment

Nosara

$87 4.8%

Pasto

$31 3.9% 64.7% $57

Getting Around

Nosara

$87 4.7%

Pasto

$44 5.5% 49.9% $43

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Nosara versus $269 in Pasto. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Nosara versus $24.00 in Pasto. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $173 – making Pasto the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Nosara

🇨🇴 Pasto

🕒 Local time

22:41 10:41 PM

23:41 11:41 PM

1 h ahead of Nosara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912

392,930

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nosara Pasto 1,340 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Nosara
Pasto

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Nosara vs Pasto: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,839 in Nosara, $799 in Pasto – roughly 130% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,758 per month in Nosara and $1,198 in Pasto. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Pasto, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 139% less in Pasto. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $494 per month in Nosara and $235 in Pasto. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Pasto, where all-in costs run around $799, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Pasto it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $799 in Pasto to $1,839 in Nosara. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Pasto. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Nosara makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.